Talking Watches With Fabrizio Sotti

This episode of Talking Watches brings us full circle from episode one, where we sat down with musician John Mayer, because the subject of this episode is again a guitarist, and again a truly passionate lover of all things horological.

And we're back. This episode of Talking Watches brings us full circle from episode one, where we sat down with musician John Mayer, because the subject of this episode is again a guitarist, and again a truly passionate lover of all things horological. Fabrizio Sotti is one of those guys that only should only exist in the movies. He's a world-class jazz guitarist who played for years with the Gipsy Kings, and he's produced for everyone from Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Houston to Q-Tip, Wu-Tang Clan, and Tupac.

Sotti sold his own record label to Universal some years ago, but continues to produce and record in his studio in downtown New York City, where we met him to see some of his collection. Sotti is a true watch lover, but he's also an avid car collector and even recorded a track to be used by a little motorcar company called Ferrari, which he also collects. Sotti's collection is deep, and wide. He is a true lover of all things horological – one day you might find him in a $600,000 perpetual minute repeater from Patek Philppe, and the next in a simple chronograph from Tudor. Sotti is, above all else, a humble, interesting person with extreme talent, and great taste in watches. Let's get into it.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar 5205R

The annual calendar 5205R is Sotti's most recent acquisition. It was shown at BaselWorld 2013 and the triple-aperture design against a gloss black dial in a rose-gold case is absolutely stunning. The 5205 is a modern classic of sorts among Patek lovers because it is so wearable and versatile, yet features some great, thoughtful design traits – such as pierced lugs. Sotti also owns another Patek annual calendar, the 5396 made exclusively for Tiffany & Co. that went to the Tiffany salons best customers. You can read John Mayer's explanation of it here.

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Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5970J

Ah, the 5970. This perpetual calendar chronograph is becoming the official watch of the Talking Watches series, and with good reason. It is, as we've said many times, about as good as it gets, and Sotti wears his yellow-gold example often. For more on what makes this watch, and in fact the entire lineage of Patek perpetual calendar chronographs special, read our Reference Points feature on them. Sotti's high-end Patek collection doesn't end with a 5970 – he also owns a 5074P, also known as perpetual calendar with minute repeater in platinum. You can hear all Patek repeaters in action here.

Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Chrono-Tourbillon

This Jules Audemars Chrono-Tourbillon is an under the radar killer. It's not necessarily under the radar in an aesthetic sense with the large tourbillon aperture, but it is in the sense that you seldom hear people talking about this watch, and yet a handful of very serious collectors I know own it. Sotti has had the chance to meet with APRP movement man Giulio Papi, and it was from him that he gained his perspective on what this movement offers.

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Rolex Daytona Zenith Movement With 'Patrizzi Dial'

Sotti isn't a Rolex die-hard like some other of our guests on Talking Watches, but one piece that he's held onto for a long time is this Zenith-powered Rolex Daytona. What makes his special is that its registers have turned to a beautiful caramel color, as is prone to happen in a certain series of Rolex dials. Many call it a "Patrizzi" dial, and it is one of the few collectible, interesting Rolex sport watches from the modern era.

Panerai Radiomir California 3 Days (PAM00424)

Sotti is Italian, and his love for Panerai is pure and simple. He's been wearing them casually for years, and his most regular PAM is the 424, or the Radiomir California 3 Days, which features a beautiful in-house movement and classic "California" dial, with Roman numerals on the top and Arabic on the bottom.

Tudor Heritage Chronograph Blue

Fabrizio Sotti is, as I've said, a lover of all watches, and just beautifully designed things in general. So while his Patek minute repeater may be a work of art, he still makes time for less expensive pieces like Tudor's Heritage Chrono Blue. Sotti wears this watch often, and proves yet again that watch collecting is not about snobbery. You can read our detailed review of this watch here.

You can learn more about Fabrizio Sotti, and all that he does, right here.